MoonClan's Return

Chapter 6

            Hazelstar lazily opened her eyes to find sunlight peeking through the den. She slowly rose to her feet and let out a slow yawn. Padding outside, she already found Fire organizing patrols.

            Good, she thought, glad his mind was off Crystal. The she-cat had two days now to return with thirty rogues. If not, Hazelstar would be sure to kill the she-cat off, whether Fire liked it or not.

            "Hazelstar," Fire said, greeting the she-cat. "I have sent a few cats on patrol while others gather food and supplies for building the den."

            "Very good," Hazelstar told him. "Any word from the others about members?"

            Fire shook his head, then paused. "I had forgotten to tell you. We found a tom wondering through the woods alone last night. Bone and Snowflake captured him. He's in the den over there," he said, pointing to a small den guarded by Bone and Cliff.

            "Thank you for the information. Perhaps it would be better to tell me a bit earlier next time, Fire?"

            "I did not wish to disturb your slumber," Fire said, bowing slightly.

            Ignoring the tom, Hazelstar padded off to the den, watching fear flicker in both Bone and Cliff's eyes as she passed by.

            "Hazelstar," Cliff murmured. "We have caught a rogue."

            "A very strong and fit one too," Bone told her.

            "And you two found him?"

            Bone shook his head. "My daughter, Snowflake, caught him in the woods. She didn't attack the tom though. I found her speaking to him, so I knocked the tom unconscious and brought him here."

            "Very good. I will have a word with Snowflake."

            "We weren't sure what you wanted to do with the tom," Cliff told her. "So we kept him guarded in here."

            "Thank you for not disposing of him immediately," Hazelstar said, padding through the den. Inside the den sat a young tom with broad shoulder and powerful muscles. He was a gray tabby tom, spots of dried blood coating his pelt from where he had been attacked. As Hazelstar entered, he turned, and Hazelstar gasped as she saw his bloodshot amber eyes.

            "Are you the leader they speak of?"

            "Yes," Hazelstar growled. "It was generous of my warriors to bring you here instead of killing you in the woods."

            "So the rumors are true then? You clan cats are vicious and cruel like they say," the tom spat.

            "No, not all of them!" she spat. "If you haven't noticed already, many of these cats are like you-rogues. This isn't a, well, normal clan. In fact, it is more of a clan to seek vengeance for something that happened long ago. Tell me, tom. What is your name?"

            "Shard," he growled. "And who might you be?"

            "Hazelstar, the leader of this clan."

            "Will you be sending me out in the woods then?" he asked.

            "No!" Hazelstar hissed. "It must've been pure luck you stumbled into our territory. But no, I won't set you free. I can either kill you right here in this den, or you can join this clan, MoonClan, and help us take the lands we seek. Living as a MoonClan cat would be wonderful, Shard. Imagine piles of prey, more than you could eat. We'd be superior to any cat in the forest!"